@mub: Sure, if the amount of combo's defines the quality of a combat system. And I agree on the repetitive nature of the combat, but that's a factor of the combat challenge the game offers, not necessarily the quality of the combat system.
They're wildly different but even Persona 5, my most anticipated game of the year, will seriously have to bring it to topple this gem, in my book.
I think that anyone who enjoys strong stories in video games owes it to themselves to play this.
Unlike most story games, this one does not do it at the cost of great gameplay. That is very rare.
eh the combat is still very shallow for my tastes
The combat system is very robust and allows for a lot of technical stuff that we find in some of the better games in the character action genre (not quite up to Bayonetta or DMC 3); there are some great YouTube videos that demonstrate this. However, the combat challenge offered by the game doesn't demand or require the player to become adept at the underlying mechanics, which is a shame. It's like Jeff said, it mostly exists to allow flashy combat where, in fact, you can suffice with light, light, heavy, dodge.
That said, with combat being serviceable, this game shines in most every other category.
Personally I find the game too padded. I enjoy the story well enough, but it's served up far too slow, and 9S' campaign is questionably fun content. The gameplay is a bit too repetitive for something you're doing for 30 hours or so. I think Nier:A would be better as a 12-hour linear experience. The open world isn't compelling, and it would condense the story into something that's not so drip-fed between repetitive combat sequences and open world traversal.
I actually think the combat could be better with some tweaks, but because they've decided to go with a certain art style and enemy density, it's difficult to see exactly what's going on, so they relied on a spammy dodge button and mashy combos. The hard mode is also too much of a drastic change, where you die in one or two hits from harder enemies and bosses. Chips can fix that, but again, that's not necessarily fun. Recovery items can fix that, but again, spamming recovery items isn't fun. Now that I think about it, Nier:A would be better just not being an RPG at all. No stats, limited item usage so you can't stock up on 100 large recovery items, and a more linear, condensed experience. That way, they could have focused on making the action more elegant, and telling a more consistent story.
I think the game's good, but this hype of "masterpiece" seems a bit much. I think it's a solid 4-star game, carried by style more than substance.
I can see that, for sure.
For me, my experience has been different. The world, not necessarily its openness, is plenty compelling. My playthrough of route A took me >35 hours because I was taking my time to just soak up everything about this world. I love its fully realized, highly consistent aesthetic -- both in terms of visuals and audio, and the combination of the two. To me, the game tells a very compelling story all throughout its five main routes, and doesn't shy away from the answers to the questions it raises. The structure of the game and the way it unfolds events add to the story and its messages, I feel.
At the very least, the different opinions about the game have contributed to its visibility in the midst of some very high profile, AAA games coming out, which might result in Yoko Taro having more resources to work with for a potential next game. Color me excited.
They're wildly different but even Persona 5, my most anticipated game of the year, will seriously have to bring it to topple this gem, in my book.
I think that anyone who enjoys strong stories in video games owes it to themselves to play this.
Unlike most story games, this one does not do it at the cost of great gameplay. That is very rare.
eh the combat is still very shallow for my tastes
The combat system is very robust and allows for a lot of technical stuff that we find in some of the better games in the character action genre (not quite up to Bayonetta or DMC 3); there are some great YouTube videos that demonstrate this. However, the combat challenge offered by the game doesn't demand or require the player to become adept at the underlying mechanics, which is a shame. It's like Jeff said, it mostly exists to allow flashy combat where, in fact, you can suffice with light, light, heavy, dodge.
That said, with combat being serviceable, this game shines in most every other category. Ultimately, this is a Yoko Taro game, not a Platinum game. Depending on what you're looking for, that's either the best thing or it isn't.
I super wish Nick was the one to take the open job for Giant Bomb... But I also super more wish Cool Games Inc and Car Boys would never end. So I'm pretty much at a loss.
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